Helpful Links

Pet Health Columns

Experts on animal health from the college's clinics in Urbana and Chicago share their knowledge in informative columns written for animal owners. Scan the categories and tags at left for topics that interest you. Subscribe to our weekly Pet Health Columns email.

shelters often euthanize heartworm-positive dogs Reddington probably didn’t realize it, but he was in a bad spot. Not only was the dog living in an animal shelter, he had also tested positive for heartworm disease. In many cases, those two factors amount to a death sentence. But luckily for Reddington, he found an owner and...

Plans’ Success Depends on Implementation at Home Physical rehabilitation for animals is the process of evaluating and managing patients with painful or functionally limiting conditions caused by illness or injury. Carrie Chandler-Harrison is a certified veterinary technician and certified canine rehabilitation practitioner at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana. When an animal...

Heat stroke requires immediate medical attention The approach of summer brings a spike both in temperatures and in cases of heat stroke in dogs. Dr. Maureen McMichael, a boarded emergency and critical care specialist who heads the emergency service at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, urges owners to acclimate their dogs...

Teeth Similar in Structure, Different in Care Dr. Katherine Kling is a veterinarian who typically sees dogs and cats through the dentistry service at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana. Recently Dr. Kling got the chance to use her dentistry skills on some high-profile patients: lions and tigers! She, along with veterinary...

‘Think of bacteria as our friends’ Dr. Patrick Barko has spent the past three years studying a rapidly evolving field that he believes will soon be at the forefront in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease for people and pets. “For most of modern medical history, bacteria were treated as enemy invaders that needed...

A ‘foreign body’ may pose a medical emergency Animals are very curious creatures. But, as the old adage goes, curiosity can be deadly, or at least dangerous. So it is with animals that swallow things not meant to be swallowed: Your dog snarfs down a broken or too-small toy. Your cat goes from licking a...

Turtles play a role in environmental health Last summer, two rising second-year veterinary students traded blue lab coats and lecture halls in Urbana for chest-high waders and wetlands in Lake County in northeast Illinois. Working as part of the Wildlife Epidemiology Lab at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Lauren Mumm and John...

Regulations control wording on a pet food label The seemingly endless brightly colored cans, bags, and boxes in the pet food aisles can be quite overwhelming for pet owners. Dr. Kelly Swanson, an animal sciences professor at the University of Illinois who lectures on nutrition to students at the College of Veterinary Medicine, has some...

Pet’s cancer may be managed vs. cured The word “chemotherapy” conjures up images of nauseous, balding, and debilitated patients. While supportive therapies are available to soften these side effects in human cancer patients, it’s true that medical doctors often treat cancer very aggressively, hoping to achieve complete remission of disease. For patients undergoing chemotherapy at...

Enjoy the Most-Read Columns from 2017 What topics did pet owners find most fascinating last year? We checked our website analytics, and discovered that fungal disease, behavioral issues, and cutting-edge treatments offered only at our college topped the list. Here’s a recap of our most-read columns. Blasted Blasto Blastomyces dermatitidis—the agent responsible for the systemic...